The secret US prisons you've never heard of before | Will Potter

翻译人员: Twisted Meadows 校对人员: Ying Li

Father Daniel Berrigan once said that "writing about prisoners

丹尼尔·贝里根神父曾经说过

“描写囚犯，就像在描写死人。”

is a little like writing about the dead."

I think what he meant is that we treat prisoners as ghosts.

我认为他的意思是 我们对待囚犯就像幽灵。

They're unseen and unheard.

他们从未被听到和看到。

It's easy to simply ignore them

要忽略他们实在太容易了，

and it's even easier when the government goes to great lengths to keep them hidden.

尤其是在政府 竭力隐藏的情况下。

As a journalist, I think these stories

作为一个记者，我觉得那些故事，

of what people in power do when no one is watching,

那些关于掌权者，在 无人所知的地方所做的事，

are precisely the stories that we need to tell.

都应该被人们了解。

That's why I began investigating

这就是我为什么开始调查

the most secretive and experimental prison units in the United States,

美国给所谓的 “二线恐怖分子”设立的

最隐秘、也最具实验性的监狱部门。

for so-called "second-tier" terrorists.

The government calls these units Communications Management Units or CMUs.

政府称这些部门为 “通信管制监狱”， 也就是CMUs

Prisoners and guards call them "Little Guantanamo."

而囚犯和狱警却将它称为 “小关塔那摩”。

They are islands unto themselves.

它们与世隔绝。

But unlike Gitmo they exist right here, at home,

但与关塔那摩监狱不同的是： 它们就在这里，在我们的国家，

floating within larger federal prisons.

悬浮于更大的联邦监狱内部。

There are 2 CMUs.

有两个CMUs。

One was opened inside the prison in Terre Haute, Indiana,

一个建在印第安纳州 特雷霍特的监狱内部，

and the other is inside this prison, in Marion, Illinois.

而另一个，在这个监狱里， 位于伊利诺伊州，马里昂。

Neither of them underwent the formal review process

他们中的任何一个， 在被启用时，

that is required by law when they were opened.

都没有经过法律要求的 正式审核程序。

CMU prisoners have all been convicted of crimes.

CMU里面的囚犯皆被判为有罪。

Some of their cases are questionable and some involve threats and violence.

但其中一些案子尚存疑点， 还有一些涉及恐吓威胁和暴力。

I'm not here to argue the guilt or innocence of any prisoner.

我不是要在这里 争论囚犯有罪与否。

I'm here because as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall said,

我在这里，是因为 最高法院大法官瑟古德·马歇尔曾说过

"When the prisons and gates slam shut,

“当监狱大门砰一声关上时，

prisoners do not lose their human quality."

囚犯们并没有丧失 他们身为人的特性。”

Every prisoner I've interviewed has said there are three flecks of light

我采访过的每一位囚犯都说，

在黑暗的监狱里只有三件事 给他们带来微弱的光亮：

in the darkness of prison:

phone calls,

接电话、

letters

收信、

and visits from family.

还有家属探监。

CMUs aren't solitary confinement, but they radically restrict all of these

CMUs 并没有将罪犯隔离关押， 但他们对囚犯行为的全面限制

to levels that meet or exceed the most extreme prisons in the United States.

严格到超过了 美国最严苛的监狱。

Their phone calls can be limited to 45 minutes a month,

他们的通话时间 被限制在每月45分钟，

compared to the 300 minutes other prisoners receive.

而别的囚犯可以获得300分钟。

Their letters can be limited to six pieces of paper.

他们的信件来往限制在6页纸以内。

Their visits can be limited to four hours per month,

每月的家属探视时间 只有4个小时，

compared to the 35 hours that people like Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph

与之相反，就连奥林匹克公园爆炸案 的始作俑者，埃里克·鲁道夫

receive in the supermax.

最多都能有35个小时。

On top of that, CMU visits are non-contact which means prisoners are not allowed

最重要的是， CMU的探视是非接触式的，

也就是说，囚犯们甚至 不能拥抱自己的家人。

to even hug their family.

As one CMU prisoner said,

就像一位CMU囚犯说的：

"We're not being tortured here, except psychologically."

“在这里，我们确实没被酷刑折磨， 我们只受到精神上的折磨。”

The government won't say who is imprisoned here.

政府不会透露 谁被关押在这里。

But through court documents, open records requests

但通过法院的文件、 请求公开的记录

and interviews with current and former prisoners,

和我们对现任、前任囚犯的采访，

some small windows into the CMUs have opened.

我们打开了一些 通往CMUs的小窗口。

There's an estimated 60 to 70 prisoners here,

这里大约有60到70名囚犯，

and they're overwhelmingly Muslim.

其中大多数是穆斯林。

They include people like Dr. Rafil Dhafir,

其中包括Rafil Dhafir博士 这样的人，

who violated the economic sanctions on Iraq by sending medical supplies

他因为给伊拉克的儿童 寄送医疗用品，违反了

对伊拉克的经济制裁禁令。

for the children there.

They've included people like Yassin Aref.

其中也包括Yassin Aref 这样的人。

Aref and his family fled to New York from Saddam Hussein's Iraq as refugees.

Aref和他的家人作为难民， 从萨达姆统治下的伊拉克逃到纽约。

He was arrested in 2004 as part of an FBI sting.

他在2004年，一次 FBI的行动中被捕。

Aref is an imam and he was asked to bear witness to a loan,

Aref作为伊玛目（伊斯兰教长）， 曾被要求为一笔贷款做担保，

which is a tradition in Islamic culture.

这是伊斯兰文化的传统。

It turned out that one of the people involved in the loan was trying to enlist

但后来发现贷款的其中一人

试图招募别的人 参与一场伪装袭击。

someone else in a fake attack.

Aref didn't know.

Aref对此并不知情。

For that, he was convicted

就因为这个，他被判处

of conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist group.

密谋为恐怖组织提供物质支持。

The CMUs also include some non-Muslim prisoners.

在CMUs里同样 有一些非穆斯林囚犯。

The guards call them "balancers,"

警卫称他们为“平衡者”。

meaning they help balance out the racial numbers,

意思是他们的存在 平衡了（囚犯的）种族人数，

in hopes of deflecting law suits.

监狱借此逃脱法律指控。

These balancers include animal rights and environmental activists

这些平衡者里包括 动物权益和环保主义激进分子

like Daniel McGowan.

比如Daniel McGowan。

McGowan was convicted of participating in two arsons

McGowan被判决 参与了两次

in the name of defending the environment

由地球解放阵线发起的 以保卫环境为名的纵火案件。

as part of the Earth Liberation Front.

During his sentencing, he was afraid that he would be sent

在他的判决中， 他害怕自己被送进

to a rumored secret prison for terrorists.

据说是关押恐怖分子的“秘密监狱”。

The judge dismissed all those fears,

法官对他的恐惧不予任何考虑，

saying that they weren't supported by any facts.

称没有任何事实可以支撑这一谣言。

But that might be because the government hasn't fully explained

但那恐怕是因为政府从未完全解释过

why some prisoners end up in a CMU,

为什么有些囚犯会被送进CMU，

and who is responsible for these decisions.

而这些决策又是由谁负责做出的。

When McGowan was transferred, he was told

当McGowan被递交监狱时，

it's because he is a "domestic terrorist,"

他被告知，是因为 他是一名“国内恐怖分子”，

a term the FBI uses repeatedly when talking about environmental activists.

这一术语被FBI大量地 用于形容环境保护主义者。

Now, keep in mind there are about 400 prisoners in US prisons

然而，要知道： 美国的监狱里

有大约400名囚犯 被分类为“恐怖分子”，

who are classified as terrorists,

and only a handful of them are in the CMUs.

但只有屈指可数的一些 被关在CMUs里。

In McGowan's case, he was previously at a low-security prison

在McGowan的案子里， 他明显是一个低危险系数的犯人，

and he had no communications violations.

显然，他也不会有任何 威胁性的通信行为。

So, why was he moved?

那么，为什么他会被送进去？

Like other CMU prisoners,

像其他的CMU囚犯一样，

McGowan repeatedly asked for an answer, a hearing,

McGowan不断地要求

一个回答、一次倾听、 或者一个上诉的机会。

or some opportunity for an appeal.

This example from another prisoner shows how those requests are viewed.

这个例子来自别的犯人，证实了 他们的申请是如何被审核的。

"Wants a transfer." "Told him no."

“希望转移（到别的监狱）。” “告诉他不可能。”

At one point, the prison warden himself recommended McGowan's transfer

甚至有一次，监狱长他自己 都建议鉴于McGowan的优秀表现

out of the CMU citing his good behavior,

将他移出CMU监狱，

but the warden was overruled

但被监狱局与FBI联合反恐特遣部队 合作的监狱反恐部门驳回了请求。

by the Bureau of Prison's Counterterrorism Unit,

working with the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI.

Later I found out that McGowan was really sent to a CMU

后来我发现，McGowan 被送进CMU的真正原因

not because of what he did,

不是因为他做了什么，

but what he has said.

而是他说过的话。

A memo from the Counterterrorism Unit cited McGowan's "anti-government beliefs."

监狱反恐部门的一项备忘录记载： McGowan有“反政府信念”。

While imprisoned, he continued writing about environmental issues,

在关押期内，他持续进行 环境问题相关写作，

saying that activists must reflect on their mistakes

告诉别的环保主义者 必须反思自己的错误

and listen to each other.

并倾听彼此的意见。

Now, in fairness, if you've spent any time at all in Washington, DC,

说句公道话，如果你在 华盛顿特区呆过一段时间，

you know this is really a radical concept for the government.

你就明白，对政府来说 这可真是一种激进的理念。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I actually asked to visit McGowan in the CMU.

实际上，我曾要求 去CMU探视McGowan。

And I was approved.

请求通过了。

That came as quite a shock.

这吓了我一跳。

First, because as I've discussed on this stage before,

一方面，之前我就常在这一领域发声，

I learned that the FBI has been monitoring my work.

我听说FBI早就在监视我的工作。

Second, because it would make me the first and only journalist to visit a CMU.

另一方面， 这次探视会让我成为

第一个、也是唯一一个 进入CMU的调查记者。

我还从监狱局反恐部门听说，

I had even learned

through the Bureau of Prisons Counterterrorism Unit,

that they had been monitoring my speeches about CMUs, like this one.

他们一直在监视我关于CMUs的演讲， 就像今天这一场。

So how could I possibly be approved to visit?

那么，我怎么可能被允许探视的？

A few days before I went out to the prison, I got an answer.

就在前几天我去了监狱之后， 我得到了答案。

I was allowed to visit McGowan as a friend, not a journalist.

我获准作为McGowan的朋友 对他进行探视，而不是作为记者。

Journalists are not allowed here.

记者不被允许出现在这里。

McGowan was told by CMU officials that if I asked any questions

CMU的官员告诉McGowan， 一旦我问了一些敏感问题

or published any story,

或是在之后发表了任何敏感言论，

that he would be punished for my reporting.

他就会为我的报道 受到惩罚。

When I arrived for our visit, the guards reminded me

当我来到监狱时， 警卫提醒我

that they knew who I was and knew about my work.

他们知道我是谁 也知道我的工作。

And they said that if I attempted to interview McGowan,

他们说，一旦我试图 对McGowan进行采访，

the visit would be terminated.

探视就会被终止。

The Bureau of Prisons describes CMUs as "self-contained housing units."

监狱局声称，CMUs是 “自足的居住部门”。

But I think that's an Orwellian way of describing black holes.

但我认为这与奥威尔描述 黑洞的方式没有区别。

When you visit a CMU,

当你来到CMU，

you go through all the security checkpoints that you would expect.

你经过了所有安全检查的关卡， 这是你之前就能想到的。

But then the walk to the visitation room is silent.

但接下来， 通往探视间的路上却是沉默的。

When a CMU prisoner has a visit, the rest of the prison is on lockdown.

当一名CMU囚犯接受探视时， 其余的犯人全被关回牢房里。

I was ushered into a small room,

我被引导进一个小房间里，

so small my outstretched arms could touch each wall.

小到我伸展双臂就能摸到两边的墙。

There was a grapefruit-sized orb in the ceiling

天花板上有一个转动的小圆球，

for the visit to be live-monitored by the Counterterrorism Unit

方便远在西弗吉尼亚的反恐部门

in West Virginia.

实时监控这里的探视。

The unit insists that all the visits have to be in English for CMU prisoners,

他们坚持要求CMU囚犯 在探视过程中用英语交流，

which is an additional hardship for many of the Muslim families.

这对那些穆斯林家庭来说 显得更加困难。

There is a thick sheet of foggy, bulletproof glass

在我面前是一面极厚的、 模糊的防弹玻璃

and on the other side was Daniel McGowan.

玻璃的另一侧， 是Daniel McGowan。

We spoke through these handsets attached to the wall

我们通过墙上的 电话听筒进行交流，

and talked about books and movies.

聊一些书和电影。

We did our best to find reasons to laugh.

我们尽力找出一些发笑的理由。

To fight boredom and amuse himself while in the CMU,

身处CMU，为了 消磨时间，找点乐子，

McGowan had been spreading a rumor that I was secretly the president

McGowan散布了个谣言， 说我是暮光之城粉丝俱乐部

of a Twilight fan club in Washington, DC

在华盛顿特区的秘密总统。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

For the record, I'm not.

我想在这里说清楚， 其实我不是。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But I kind of the hope the FBI now thinks that Bella and Edward

但我其实有点希望FBI 会把贝拉和爱德华

are terrorist code names.

当成恐怖分子的代号。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

在我们探视过程中，

During our visit, McGowan spoke most and at length about his niece Lily,

McGowan讲得最多、 最不遗余力地谈论的

是他的侄女丽丽、妻子珍妮，

his wife Jenny and how torturous it feels to never be able to hug them,

以及再也不能拥抱她们、 再也不能拉她们手的折磨。

to never be able to hold their hands.

Three months after our visit, McGowan was transferred out of the CMU

那次探视之后过了三个月， McGowan被转移出了CMU，

and then, without warning, he was sent back again.

但之后，没有任何警告， 他又被送回去了。

I had published leaked CMU documents on my website

我在自己的网站上公开了 泄密的CMU文件

and the Counterterrorism Unit said that McGowan had called his wife

反恐部门称，McGowan曾 给他的妻子打电话

and asked her to mail them.

并要求她给有关部门写信。

He wanted to see what the government was saying about him,

他想知道政府对他的案子怎么解释，

and for that he was sent back to the CMU.

因此他又被送回了CMU。

When he was finally released at the end of his sentence,

当他最终刑满获释，

his story got even more Kafkaesque.

这个故事又变得更加戏剧性。

He wrote an article for the Huffington Post headlined,

他为赫芬顿邮报撰写了 一篇文章，标题是：

"Court Documents Prove I was Sent to a CMU for my Political Speech."

《法庭文件证实，我因自己的 政治言论被送进CMU》，

The next day he was thrown back in jail for his political speech.

第二天他就又被扔回监狱去了， 因为他的“政治发言”（登报文章）。

His attorneys quickly secured his release,

他的律师很快将他保释出来，

but the message was very clear:

但收到的信息是明确的：

Don't talk about this place.

——“不要谈论这个地方。”

Today, nine years after they were opened by the Bush administration,

至今，距离布什政府 启用它们已有9年，

the government is codifying how and why CMUs were created.

政府仍在试图将设立CMUs 的原因和方式合法化。

According to the Bureau of Prisons,

根据监狱局的说法，

they are for prisoners with "inspirational significance."

它们是用于关押那些 “具有煽动意义”的囚犯。

I think that is very nice way of saying these are political prisons

我认为这样形容 这些关押政治犯的

for political prisoners.

政治监狱非常巧妙。

Prisoners are sent to a CMU because of their race,

犯人们因为他们的种族、

their religion or their political beliefs.

宗教或政治信仰而被送进CMU。

Now, if you think that characterization is too strong,

现在，你可能会 觉得这些判定特征太夸张了，

just look at some of the government's own documents.

不妨来看一些 政府自己的文件。

When some of McGowan's mail was rejected by the CMU, the sender was told

当McGowan的信件被CMU 拒收时，寄信者获知

it's because the letters were intended "for political prisoners."

这些信因为寄给 “政治性罪犯”而被拒收。

When another prisoner, animal rights activist Andy Stepanian,

而对别的犯人，像动物权益保护者 Andy Stepanian，

was sent to a CMU, it was because of his anti-government and anti-corporate views.

被送进CMU的理由是： 他有反企业、反政府观点。

Now, I know all of this may be hard to believe,

我知道这一切让人很难接受，

that it's happening right now, and in the United States.

但它确实发生在当下， 发生在我们美国。

But the unknown reality is that the US has a dark history

这个不为人知的事实就是， 美国有着一段黑暗的历史

of disproportionately punishing people because of their political beliefs.

是根据人们的政治信仰， 区别对待地进行惩罚。

In the 1960s, before Marion was home to the CMU,

在1960年代，当马里昂还 没有CMU的时候，

it was home to the notorious Control Unit.

那里就有一所 臭名昭著的管制监狱。

Prisoners were locked down in solitary for 22 hours a day.

犯人们每天有22小时 被单独关押。

The warden said the unit was to "control revolutionary attitudes."

监狱长说，这所监狱是用于 “控制具有革命倾向的犯人”。

In the 1980s, another experiment called the Lexington High Security Unit

在1980年代，另一所实验性监狱 名叫列克星敦高安全监狱

held women connected to the Weather Underground,

关押着与“地下气象人组织”、

Black Liberation and Puerto Rican independent struggles.

黑人解放运动、波多黎各独立斗争 有关的女性。

The prison radically restricted communication and used sleep deprivation,

监狱从根本上限制通信交流 并且使用“剥夺睡眠”和“持续光照”

and constant light for so-called "ideological conversion."

来进行所谓的“思想转换”。

Those prisons were eventually shut down, but only through the campaigning

那些监狱最终都被关闭了， 但那是宗教组织和

of religious groups and human rights advocates, like Amnesty International.

像“国际特赦组织”这样的人权倡导者 通过一系列的抗争换来的。

Today, civil rights lawyers with the Center for Constitutional Rights

今天，民权律师和宪法权利中心

are challenging CMUs in court

都在向法院抗议CMUs

for depriving prisoners of their due process rights

剥夺囚犯应享有的正当法律程序

and for retaliating against them

以及对囚犯受保护的政治、 宗教发言做出的报复行为。

for their protected political and religious speech.

Many of these documents would have never come to light without this lawsuit.

如果没有这些诉讼， 刚才展示的许多文件就不会重见天日。

The message of these groups and my message for you today

来自这些组织的信息，和我 今天告诉大家的这些信息

is that we must bear witness to what is being done to these prisoners.

是为了让各位见证： 我们正在对囚犯们做些什么。

Their treatment is a reflection of the values held beyond prison walls.

他们的待遇，反映了 监狱高墙之外的人们持有的价值观念。

This story is not just about prisoners.

这个故事不仅仅是关于犯人的。

It is about us.

也是关于你我的。

It is about our own commitment to human rights.

它关于我们自己 维护人权的责任。

It is about whether we will choose to stop repeating the mistakes of our past.

也是关于，我们是否要选择 重蹈覆辙，一错再错。

If we don't listen to what Father Berrigan described as the stories of the dead,

如果我们不愿去倾听 贝里根神父讲述关于死亡的故事，

they will soon become the stories of ourselves.

那么明天， 那就会是我们自己的故事。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）

(Applause ends)

（掌声结束）

Tom Rielly: I have a couple questions.

Tom Rielly：我有几个问题。

When I was in high school, I learned about the Bill of Rights,

当我还在读中学的时候， 我就学过“权利法案”、

the Constitution, freedom of speech,

“宪法”、“言论自由”、

due process and about 25 other laws and rights

“正当法律程序” 和其它25种法律和权利，

that seem to be violated by this.

它们看起来都被这事违背了。

How could this possibly be happening?

那么这件事究竟是怎么发生的呢？

Will Potter: I think that's the number one question I get

Will Potter： 我想这是我整个工作中，

throughout all of my work,

要面临的首要问题，

and the short answer is that people don't know.

简单来说，答案是： “没人知道。”

I think the solution to any of these types of situations, any rights abuses,

我认为想要解决任何 类似的权力滥用情况，

are really dependent on two things.

就取决于两点：

They're dependent on knowledge that it's actually happening

得让人们真正了解 到底发生了什么；

and then a means and efficacy to actually make a change.

还要有切实有效的 行动来促生改变。

And unfortunately with these prisoners,

而不幸的是，对这些犯人们，

one, people don't know what's happening at all

首先，根本没人 知道里面发生了什么；

and then they're already disenfranchised populations

另外，他们实在是 被边缘化的弱势群体，

who don't have access to attorneys, not native English speakers.

他们没有代理律师， 也不擅长讲英语。

In some of these cases, they have great representation that I mentioned,

在我提到的这些案件里， 他们（受害者）确实已经人数众多，

but there's just not a public awareness of what's happening.

但还没有多到，足以让公众 认识到那里发生了什么。

TR: Isn't it guaranteed in prison that you have right to council

TR：监狱有保证 犯人有权接触议会

or access to council?

或者向议会抗议吗？

WP: There's a tendency in our culture

WP：我们的文化里有一种倾向，

to see when people have been convicted of a crime,

那就是只要人们被判有罪，

no matter if that charge was bogus or legitimate,

无论这是误判还是合法判决，

that whatever happens to them after that is warranted.

此后对罪犯做的一切都是正当的。

And I think that's a really damaging and dangerous narrative that we have,

而我觉得这真的是一种 破坏性的危险态度，

that allows these types of things to happen,

它让这类事情得以发生，

as the general public just kind of turns a blind eye to it.

让普通民众对它视而不见。

TR: All those documents on screen were all real documents, word for word,

TR：屏幕上的所有文件 都是真实文件，每个字，

unchanged at all, right?

都没有被篡改过，是吗？

WP: Absolutely. I've actually uploaded all of them to my website.

WP：绝对没有。事实上 我已经把它们上传到了我的网站。

It's willpotter.com/CMU and it's a footnoted version of the talk,

willpotter.com/CMU 我对这次演讲的所有内容做了脚注，

so you can see the documents for yourself without the little snippets.

你可以直接点击（引用的）片段 查看文件原文。

You can see the full version.

你可以看到完整的版本。

I relied overwhelmingly on primary source documents

我的调查完全依赖于 最初的原始文件

or on primary interviews with former and current prisoners,

或我对现任/前任犯人的第一手采访，

with people that are dealing with this situation every day.

那些犯人是每天 都在面对这一状况的人。

And like I said, I've been there myself, as well.

而且我也说过了， 我自己也亲身去过那里。

TR: You're doing courageous work.

TR：你在从事一项非常勇敢的工作。

WP: Thank you very much. Thank you all.

WP：非常感谢。感谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）